Portable U-lock

Abstract

A portable hoop lock comprises a lock body that accommodates an electromechanical locking mechanism; and a hoop that has at least one locking section that can be selectively introduced into the lock body or released from the lock body, wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one latch and an electric motor for driving the latch, wherein the latch is configured to lock the locking section of the hoop introduced into the lock body to the lock body in a locking position and to release the locking section of the hoop for a removal from the lock body in a release position. In this respect, the electric motor is configured to selectively move the latch from the locking position into the release position via a drive transmission section of the locking mechanism and the lock body has a watertight cover that surrounds the electric motor.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A portable hoop lock comprising a lock body that accommodates an electromechanical locking mechanism; and comprising a rigid or flexible hoop that has at least one locking section that is configured to be selectively introduced into the lock body or released from the lock body,
 wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one latch and an electric motor for driving the latch, wherein the latch is configured to lock the locking section of the hoop introduced into the lock body to the lock body in a locking position and to release the locking section of the hoop for a removal from the lock body in a release position, 
 wherein the electric motor is configured to selectively move the latch from the locking position into the release position via a drive transmission section of the locking mechanism, 
 wherein the lock body has a watertight cover that surrounds the electric motor; 
 wherein the cover has a cover opening through which the drive transmission section of the locking mechanism projects in a sealed manner, 
 wherein the lock body comprises a carrier that carries the electric motor and at least a part of the locking mechanism, wherein the carrier movably supports the drive transmission section, and wherein the carrier is surrounded by the cover, 
 wherein the cover has a clamping section that peripherally surrounds the cover opening, wherein the carrier has a connection section that contacts an inner side of the clamping section of the cover and that has a connection opening, and wherein the lock body has a counter connection section that contacts an outer side of the clamping section of the cover and that has a counter connection opening, 
 wherein the clamping section of the cover is arranged between the connection section of the carrier and the counter connection section of the lock body, and wherein the drive transmission section of the locking mechanism projects through the connection opening of the carrier, the cover opening, and the counter connection opening of the lock body, 
 wherein the entire watertight cover that surrounds the electric motor is flexible. 
 
     
     
       2. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the lock body has a support section having a support opening in which the drive transmission section of the locking mechanism is movably supported and which is aligned with the cover opening, wherein the cover is held sealed in an at least substantially water-impermeable manner at the support section, and wherein at least one sealing element is arranged between the drive transmission section and a peripheral boundary of the support opening, wherein the support opening is closed and sealed in an at least substantially water-impermeable manner by the drive transmission section and the sealing element. 
     
     
       3. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the clamping section of the cover is arranged in a clamping gap that is formed between the connection section of the carrier and the counter connection section of the lock body, wherein the counter connection section of the lock body and the connection section of the carrier are fixed to one another in such a force-fitting manner that the clamping section of the cover is clamped in the clamping gap and the clamping gap is sealed in an at least substantially water-impermeable manner by the clamping section of the cover. 
     
     
       4. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the lock body has at least one sealing element that is arranged between the drive transmission section of the locking mechanism and at least one of a peripheral boundary of the connection opening of the connection section of the carrier or a peripheral boundary of the counter connection opening of the counter connection section of the lock body, wherein the connection opening or the counter connection opening is closed and sealed in an at least substantially water-impermeable manner by the drive transmission section and the sealing element. 
     
     
       5. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the latch is configured to be moved from the locking position into the release position by a rotation. 
     
     
       6. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the latch has an engagement section that has a longitudinal extent having an effective length and an effective width in a plane perpendicular to a movement axis of the latch,
 wherein the locking section has an elongate passage channel whose width is greater than the effective width, but less than the effective length of the engagement section of the latch, wherein the passage channel is open at a first end and leads into a latch receiver of the locking section at a second end, the clear width of said latch receiver in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the passage channel being greater than the width of the passage channel and the effective length of the engagement section of the latch, 
 wherein, in the release position of the latch, the elongate engagement section of the latch is oriented longitudinally to the passage channel such that, during an introduction of the locking section into the lock body, the engagement section engages into the passage channel of the locking section, but allows an introduction movement of the locking section, and wherein, in the locking position of the latch, the elongate engagement section of the latch is oriented transversely to the passage channel such that—after the locking section has been introduced into the lock body and while the engagement section engages into the latch receiver of the locking section—the engagement section is blocked against escaping into the passage channel such that the locking section is locked to the lock body. 
 
     
     
       7. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism has a sensor that is arranged within the cover and that is configured to detect an introduction of the locking section of the hoop into the lock body and to generate a corresponding detection signal, wherein the lock body has a movable actuation element for actuating the sensor that is configured to be brought into activating contact with the sensor by the locking section of the hoop introduced into the lock body, wherein the actuation element is arranged outside the cover. 
     
     
       8. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the actuation element is configured to be driven to perform an actuation movement by the locking section of the hoop introduced into the lock body and to mechanically contact the sensor through the cover in order to bring about the generation of the detection signal. 
     
     
       9. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the sensor is connected to a control device that is configured to control the electric motor to move the latch into the locking position in response to the generated detection signal. 
     
     
       10. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism comprises an electrical energy source that is arranged within the cover, wherein the cover has a watertight charging socket for charging the electrical energy source. 
     
     
       11. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the lock body comprises at least one of:
 an alarm device for generating an acoustic alarm signal that is at least partly arranged within the cover and that comprises a loudspeaker for outputting the alarm signal, or 
 a radio module that is at least partly arranged within the cover and that is configured to wirelessly receive control commands for the electric motor. 
 
     
     
       12. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the portable hoop lock is configured as a joint lock and the hoop is configured as a jointed bar hoop that has a plurality of jointed bars pivotably connected to one another, wherein a first end of the jointed bar hoop is permanently fastened to the lock body and the locking section forms a free second end of the jointed bar hoop that is configured to be selectively locked to or released from the lock body. 
     
     
       13. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the cover is elastically deformable. 
     
     
       14. A portable hoop lock in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the latch is configured to be moved from the locking position into the release position by a rotation about 90°. 
     
     
       15. A portable hoop lock comprising a lock body that accommodates an electromechanical locking mechanism; and comprising a rigid or flexible hoop that has at least one locking section that is configured to be selectively introduced into the lock body or released from the lock body,
 wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one latch and an electric motor for driving the latch, wherein the latch is configured to lock the locking section of the hoop introduced into the lock body to the lock body in a locking position and to release the locking section of the hoop for a removal from the lock body in a release position, 
 wherein the electric motor is configured to selectively move the latch from the locking position into the release position via a drive transmission section of the locking mechanism, 
 wherein the lock body has a watertight cover that surrounds the electric motor 
 wherein the cover has a cover opening through which the drive transmission section of the locking mechanism projects in a sealed manner, 
 wherein the lock body comprises a carrier that carries the electric motor and at least a part of the locking mechanism, wherein the carrier movably supports the drive transmission section, and wherein the carrier is surrounded by the cover, 
 wherein the cover has a clamping section that peripherally surrounds the cover opening, wherein the carrier has a connection section that contacts an inner side of the clamping section of the cover and that has a connection opening, and wherein the lock body has a counter connection section that contacts an outer side of the clamping section of the cover and that has a counter connection opening, wherein the clamping section of the cover is arranged between the connection section of the carrier and the counter connection section of the lock body, and wherein the drive transmission section of the locking mechanism projects through the connection opening of the carrier, the cover opening, and the counter connection opening of the lock body, and 
 wherein the counter connection section of the lock body is fixed to the connection section of the carrier by means of a fixing element, wherein the lock body comprises a housing that surrounds the cover, wherein the carrier and the counter connection section are fixed in or at the housing by the fixing element. 
 
     
     
       16. A portable hoop lock comprising a lock body that accommodates an electromechanical locking mechanism; and comprising a rigid or flexible hoop that has at least one locking section that is configured to be selectively introduced into the lock body or released from the lock body,
 wherein the locking mechanism comprises at least one latch and an electric motor for driving the latch, wherein the latch is configured to lock the locking section of the hoop introduced into the lock body to the lock body in a locking position and to release the locking section of the hoop for a removal from the lock body in a release position, 
 wherein the electric motor is configured to selectively move the latch from the locking position into the release position via a drive transmission section of the locking mechanism, and 
 wherein the lock body has a watertight cover that surrounds the electric motor, 
 wherein the cover has a cover opening through which the drive transmission section of the locking mechanism projects in a sealed manner, 
 wherein the lock body comprises a carrier that carries the electric motor and at least a part of the locking mechanism, wherein the carrier movably supports the drive transmission section, and wherein the carrier is surrounded by the cover, 
 wherein the cover has a clamping section that peripherally surrounds the cover opening, wherein the carrier has a connection section that contacts an inner side of the clamping section of the cover and that has a connection opening, and wherein the lock body has a counter connection section that contacts an outer side of the clamping section of the cover and that has a counter connection opening, wherein the clamping section of the cover is arranged between the connection section of the carrier and the counter connection section of the lock body, and wherein the drive transmission section of the locking mechanism projects through the connection opening of the carrier, the cover opening, and the counter connection opening of the lock body, and 
 wherein the counter connection section of the lock body peripherally surrounds the introduced locking section of the hoop with respect to a longitudinal axis of said locking section.